CCSP Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Security Practice Question
This CCSP practice question tests your understanding of cloud platform and infrastructure security. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A security engineer is reviewing logs and finds repeated failed login attempts to a cloud database instance. The database is accessible only from a specific security group. What is the BEST immediate action to reduce the attack surface?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Review the security group inbound rules and restrict the source IP to only the required application servers.
Option B is correct because the immediate priority is to restrict network-level access to the database. Since the database is only accessible from a specific security group, reviewing and tightening the inbound rules to allow traffic only from the required application servers' IP addresses directly reduces the attack surface by eliminating unnecessary exposure. This is a fundamental network segmentation principle in cloud security, as it prevents any unauthorized host within the security group from attempting authentication.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Enable multi-factor authentication for the database user accounts.
Why it's wrong here
MFA is good but does not prevent the attack from the current source if credentials are compromised.
✓
Review the security group inbound rules and restrict the source IP to only the required application servers.
Why this is correct
This limits who can attempt to connect, reducing the attack surface.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Change the database port to a non-standard port.
Why it's wrong here
Security by obscurity is not a reliable control.
✗
Delete the database instance and restore from backup.
Why it's wrong here
Too drastic and does not address the root cause.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
ISC2 often tests the distinction between network-layer controls (security groups) and application-layer controls (MFA, port obfuscation) to see if candidates prioritize reducing the attack surface at the lowest possible layer, where the impact is broadest and most immediate.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In cloud environments like AWS, security groups act as stateful virtual firewalls that control inbound and outbound traffic at the instance level. By default, security groups allow all outbound traffic, but inbound rules must be explicitly defined. Restricting source IPs to only the required application servers (e.g., using /32 CIDR blocks) ensures that only those specific hosts can initiate TCP connections to the database port (typically 3306 for MySQL or 5432 for PostgreSQL), effectively blocking all other traffic at the network layer before authentication even occurs. This is the most effective immediate action because it stops the attack at the perimeter, whereas other options like MFA or port changes only mitigate after the attacker has already reached the database listener.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Security — This question tests Cloud Platform and Infrastructure Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Review the security group inbound rules and restrict the source IP to only the required application servers. — Option B is correct because the immediate priority is to restrict network-level access to the database. Since the database is only accessible from a specific security group, reviewing and tightening the inbound rules to allow traffic only from the required application servers' IP addresses directly reduces the attack surface by eliminating unnecessary exposure. This is a fundamental network segmentation principle in cloud security, as it prevents any unauthorized host within the security group from attempting authentication.
What should I do if I get this CCSP question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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